Body fat measurements and the measuring tape are recognized
as superior methods for measuring "weight
loss". When one declares that they want to "lose
weight", what they often mean is that they want
to lose fat. So, now that you've had your body fat percentage
measured, what does the number really mean?

A certain amount of fat is essential to bodily functions. Fat
regulates body temperature, cushions and insulates organs
and tissues and is the main form of the body's energy
storage. The following table describes body fat
ranges and their associated categories:

As you can see, the goal of losing 20 pounds
is not realistic or healthy. At 110 pounds, this
woman still requires 100# of lean body mass (bones, organs,
etc.), but would only be carrying 10#, or only 9% body
fat. From the chart above, you can see that this
is a dangerously low percentage.

A better goal might be for the woman to
reduce her body fat from 23% to 18%. In this case:

130# x 0.18 = 23 # body fat

100# lean body mass + 23 # = 123# goal
weight

So, for this individual to achieve a lean,
but healthy 18% fat, she would need to lose only 7 pounds
of fat, reducing her weight from her current 130 pounds to
123 pounds. Losing more than 7 pounds means losing
lean body mass (usually metabolically-active muscle
tissue), which is clearly not desirable.

So before you decide that you need to "lose
weight", remember to consider that "weight" consists
of both lean body mass and body fat. Try to keep
your weight loss goals realistic, and remember, keep
the calorie-burning muscle, and lose only the fat.